Dec 05 2008
Writers: Stop Misplacing Your Phrases!
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Clarity is crucially important when writing.
One of the most common enemies of clarity is the sinister (though often humorous) misplaced phrase. Here are a few examples:
- A bank was reported robbed by the police this morning.
- Fred staggered out of the cabin before sunrise and ran into a bear wearing his pajamas.
- After years of being buried in junk in the garage, I discovered my old high school yearbook.
- With an abundance of curly hair all over her body, Janet thought the new puppy was adorable.
- After coming to a boil, you should let the steel-cut oats simmer.
Okay, the police did not rob the bank. And the bear was not wearing Fred’s pajamas. Nor was I buried in junk in the garage for years before finding the yearbook. The puppy – not Janet – was covered in curly body hair. And you should not boil yourself before letting the oats simmer.
These sentences clearly contain misplaced phrases and few readers would be fooled by them. But you never know. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Here are clearer versions without misplaced phrases:
- The police reported that a bank was robbed this morning.
- Fred, wearing his pajamas, staggered out of the cabin before sunrise and ran into a bear.
- I discovered my old high school yearbook, which had been buried in the junk in the garage for years.
- Janet thought the new puppy, with an abundance of curly hair all over her body, was adorable.
- You should let the steel-cut oats simmer after bringing them to a boil.
Unfortunately, not all misplaced phrases are apparent. Some can lead to serious and even dangerous misunderstandings. So be vigilant. If you have to misplace things, misplace your keys, your cell phone or your pen. But don’t misplace your phrases!
